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Iconic, mid-century modern Michigan highway sign gets a face-lift

The Highway Tourist Information Station dedication on May 16, 1959 in Mackinaw City. The sign is unveiled on the southwest side of the building. J. C. Mackie, left, Dawn Durhammer and Les Biedeman, Paul Bunyon Network.(Photo: Michigan Department of Transportation)

One of Michigan's oldest highway signs is back greeting visitors to Mackinaw City after getting a careful restoration.

The mid-century modern sign, mounted on a stylized, galvanized letter "M," was first unveiled in May 1959 to greet visitors to the city's welcome center just east of I-75.

The sign is one of the oldest of its vintage, if not the oldest, still in service on the Michigan Department of Transportation system, the agency said.

It was re-installed Wednesday.

Restored Mackinac City sign(Photo: State of Michigan)

According to MDOT archives, the State Highway Department designed and made the sign, and other staff designed and built the stone base. The sign was one of two on the site of the center, called a "Highway Information Station." John C. Mackie was Michigan's State Highway Department Commissioner at the time.

The sign's twin, which was closer to the freeway, was removed in 1979 following an addition to the building and as part of a parking lot reconfiguration. Around that same time, the remaining sign was refaced, at which time the message on the sign was changed to "Travel Information Center: Michigan Dept of Transportation."

Work on the Mackinaw City Welcome Center sign at the MDOT Sign Shop in Lansing apply yellow-covered metal to the back of sign for lettering.(Photo: Sara J. Martin)

Since then, the sign aged without much upkeep, and in recent years its surface was faded and its lettering peeling.

It was removed and brought to MDOT's statewide sign shop in Lansing, where there is space to work on a sign that large; it's more than 10 feet tall and 16 feet wide.

Dan Townsend, MDOT's North Region sign shop crew leader, looked at the sign as a piece of history and began planning for its overhaul.

MDOT historian Sigrid Bergland speculates that the sign was kept for several reasons: that it was not in the way, it was unique, it was of a sturdy design, and that it was cheaper and easier to refurbish than to replace.

"It is a holdover from a different era when the Mackinac Bridge was shiny and new, and both men and women wore hats to grand opening events," Bergland said. "I always hope that people see historic sites — whether buildings, bridges or barns — and begin to ask questions like, 'I wonder who built that?' which leads to more questions and a greater appreciation of history."